The present invention relates in general to the field of coal gasification and, in particular, an apparatus for use with certain pressure vessels such as radiant syngas coolers (RSCs) to provide sealing between the hot syngas and the pressure vessel and to provide for instantaneous pressure relief against high differential pressures during transients.
A radiant syngas cooler (RSC) is a component of an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant. A stream of hot syngas and molten ash from the gasification process enters the top of the RSC, a vertical vessel. The RSC recovers heat from the syngas to generate steam, and removes most of the entrained solids. During normal operation, a seal must be maintained to prevent or minimize hot syngas from contacting certain parts of the vessel. During certain conditions, transient operating pressure excursions can occur which must be accommodated or relieved in order to protect conduit members which convey the synthesis gas within the vessel from being destroyed.
Various sealing devices with pressure release mechanisms have been developed. See, for example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2007/0119577, the text of which is hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein. None, however, disclose a sealing apparatus of a segmented ring construction positioned around an outer wall section of a conduit member with resiliently biased pressure device(s) or, pressure relief apparatus with resilient biased pressure for protection of the conduit member from high differential pressures.